Any preps other than a thousand bullets and a case of canned tuna?

[shadowwalker]

I am going to show how low down and mean can get. On preparation and survival of me and my family.
I am always aware of where the cattle,poultry,horses, pets of ranchers,farmers and neighbors are around here. Yes I have ate horse, dog and worse. They can't watch them all and one cow or horse would feed me for along time if we dried it. I am also aware of what I see in yards, houses, storage sheds, businesses, warehouses. I even know where some of the "hidden keys" are at. I know a fair way around a gasoline refinery. And there are tanks in oil fields around here where I can fine drip gas. You mix it with diesel half and half it will work in a older gas engine. Just smokes. I know where the natural gas lines and tanks are, and I can tap a live one to put in a valve or line.
You can see alot at a glance or look, just do it. I don't run around theiving stuff, I just keep it in mind that's all. I still have it in my old mind where there are old Rock House foundations-just need roofs, potato sheds-like a root cellar only about 50 feet by 200 under ground, old wood houses and cabins-the don't rot as fast here with no humidity, with no one to run it. I can stay in some of the water irrigation tunnels here. These are defendable and maybe 15 feet across and 50 to a couple hundred feet deep, again under ground or in a mountain side. Almost every oilfield here has a underground bunker many years old. They used to store explosives and chemicals there that needed a constant temprature. Just might take awhile to find it.
And now I'm seperating the men from criminally insane. I do know of four survival communities here with end of the world bunkers. ALL have the air shafts sitting right out in the open by themselves. For circulation. Most all can figure out what can happen here.
All this is within 4 or 5 hundred miles of my present house. Up here we have this thing called a Atlas Gazzette, I think there is one for every state. It is a big magazine type topo map of the state. I got one for here and montana,utah,idaho,colorado. When I was traveling with my job or just out messing around. I would put what I saw on the maps. Rural farms,ranches,natural flowing water wells,oil/gas wells/tanks, etc,mines,pits,trails,lakes streams,forests, etc.

[RossA]

That doesn't sound mean and lowdown to me. Sounds like you have your eyes (and your mind) open to what could save your life someday.

[herbalpagan]

I do not think it is harsh at all! It is important that a person wanting to survive looks at all the resources in their area. It only makes sense and you aren't advocating stealing from people who are using or need it, just getting what you need if and when the time comes. Nothing wrong with that.:)

[pathfinder3081]

Overcome, adapt and survive. I find no ill will or lost in those that have left. If they have left, and left it (for abit). It is a scavanger's right. Understand me; If you drain my lawn mower, find a can of beans? I think it falls into "Scavanger rights". Do with it what you will. Do good with it, I would pray for that.

[Applejack]

Good post to bring back up. Reading through this for a while off and on today. It has a lot of good info on prepping. Some very good ideas including on quieting down a generator. That post is still working it sends you to for how to do that. Lots of good stuff to read through.

[dalewick]

I had never read this before. Very nice. Thanks for the repost AJ.

I look at prepping for me as the tactical side of homesteading. I have been striving for years to be self sufficient on my little place and I'm as close as I can get with the amount of labor I have available (ME) . I still have a couple projects planned but my health may prevent those from happening (water windmill, cellar, geodesic greenhouse)

along with the wife finally getting to retire at the end of this school year. We plan on traveling while we still can

and that's just my priority.

It's good to occasionally take stock of what we have, what we can do with it and what we don't have that is necessary. I decided to put my list here.

HAVE NOW:

1. Homestead, Home
2. Water, Cistern and seasonal spring
3. Gravity septic
4. Heat, wood stove & plenty of wood
5. Annual and perineal food production (gardening & Permaculture)
6. Generator (multifuel) for regulated electrical use
7. Fuel production (Ethanol, methane, wood gas & local coal seam)
8. Food gathering (Hunt, trap & fish) traps, snares, nets, trot lines, crossbow, atlatl, firearms also gather wild edibles
9. Medical (stored supplies, some herbals & trained medical personnel)
10. Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and tools available for producing trade goods (Blacksmithing, smelting & metal work, soap production, ethanol production, lye production, fat rendering, leather & fur tanning, food preservation)

COULD HAVE QUICKLY: (operating in 30 days or less within season)

1. Honey production
2. Maple sap harvest for sugar production (local forest)
3. Chickens and Coop (within group)
4. Rabbits & Hutch's
5. Aquaculture (Local ponds)
6. Vegetable oil production (hickory, walnut and acorn oils)

HAVE IN MODERATE TIME AND EFFORT (operating within 6 months or less depending on SHTF type & severity)

1. Geodesic greenhouse
2. Aquaponics in greenhouse
3. Cellar
4. Salt production (salt spring one county over).
5. Clothing production and repair (both

cloth, leather & fur)
6. Pottery

7. Producing nitric and sulfuric acids
8. Small manufacturing of needed items


Anything beyond 6 months I look at differently than prepping. At a 6 month window I would have to consider how fast the world before SHTF or even TEOTWAWKI was going to come back, or if it even was going to come back. If humanity continues then certain things will have to be done. Young people fall in love and want to be together, so they need homes. There are multiple construction methods using local materials (logs, soil, rock, etc.) as well as recycled and reused materials (tires, feed bags, sand bags, glass, metal, etc.) that can be used in less than modern conditions. People will come together to build homes, barns and other structures when they trust that you will be there to help them (neighbors). Well's will need to be dug and septic systems developed out of available materials. Larger scale agriculture will have to start so people will feel secure about there being able to eat and feed there families. This will require animals and seeds as well as equipment, man power and structures (depending on what has survived). Most of the safety "issues" will have been taken care of by now but social organization will start being wanted by many, so a justice system will be developed.

It would be a brave new world. Which will be of more value, the muscle to build it or the knowledge of what to build?

What are your thoughts?

Dale

[GrizzlyetteAdams]

Thank you AppleJack for resurrecting this gem of a thread. You know where all the good stuff is!!!!

I am subscribing to this thread... I want to put in my .02 as soon as I can turn loose from these danged alligators chompin' on my backside this week, lol.

[Morgan101]

I love these posts that are really thought provoking. It makes you think about what you have done, and where you need to be. Review all of your preps, and see where you are strong, and where you are weak.

My approach is different because I prep for a suburban environment. As much as I would like to have a home and property where I could be away from people, and more self sufficient it just isn't going to happen. Another huge concern is two family members that require maintenance medication, and frequent doctor visits. We are very close to a major hospital, and doctors' offices.

We have a very good home/shelter.

Water is not an issue. We are very close to a running creek; and a minor river. We are casual walking distance from two lakes, and have our own catch system on our property.

Food would not appear to be a problem. We have enough stored for at least six months, and there is a lot of wild game and fish in the area. How much will be around after a SHTF scenario is anybody's guess. While we do have a freezer we do not rely on it for preps. The food storage does not require any power.

Medication supply is adequate. My wife is VERY good, at finding the best prices, and buying as much as the law and the doctors allow. I wish we could find some holistic ways to supplement or replace the medications, but haven't found anything so far.

Fuel or power would be an issue. We have ample wood, and access to plenty more. Cooking, boiling water, would have to be done outside. I have made plans to limit the living space to retain heat, and stay warm. Summertime would just be uncomfortable.

We do have substantial quantities of things to barter. Lots of things, and in ungodly quantities. I will consider this the upside to being married to a hoarder. Jimmy Hoffa could be buried in my basement, and nobody would ever know. A whole other story for another time.

I feel our security is good, and we can defend what we have.

As Dalewick mentioned, a lot is dependent on the length and the severity of the SHTF event. Interesting question regarding the higher value muscles or knowledge. IMHO they are equal, and I would like to think both parties realize that. They certainly would if you are in a cooperative group. All working for the common good.

Things I would like to do: Plant fruit trees. Plant sunflowers. Plant a small garden.

I like to think we have thought this through pretty thoroughly. We are always looking for suggestions, and for things we might have missed.

[RICHFL]

Morgan you can really people to stop dreaming about what they have accomplish and rethink the whole issue of prepping!

Although my group is set having a farm with livestock on site I need to review the jump point when we leave on that 1500 mile trip.

I will attend a group meeting at the farm in late November (Deer hunting season) and will bring it up. What if we do not jump soon enough. Hurricane Micheal last week was a great reminder. With all our goodies in a basket (Farm), are we exposed to dangers we have not considered.

Pandemic - the need to stay in one place.
Government Break Down - attempted take over
Natural Disasters - routes and hi-ways destroyed or blocked
Invasion - Warfare inside the USA
War - Interior/exterior
Financial breakdown - US dollar no good any more.

More food for thought.

[Applejack]

All good points. I to have been rethinking our situation. I have been building my food supply back up. Just bought a new gun that I can use without hurting my hand. And just bought more ammo as well the other day.. I have been going through my non food preps to get them more organized. Looking for some much needed land in country. We need a larger garden than our back yard allows. No room for growing corn and such. I want to have both chickens for meat and for eggs. From there I don't know yet. Depends on land. We are going to be looking in the W. VA area but like you say Rich. Roads could be blocked and hubby can't walk there. To far. Did go to country around here but would put us even closer to power plant and if going the other direction from that I am still not sure yet. Wind factor would be an issue to work out. Also am thinking of PA in which case it would be a move there and sell out here. I know what we have here and our surroundings are not the best. We do have water sources but not much hunting areas anymore as they just keep right on selling farmland and building houses and businesses. I want to plant fruit trees and already have a miniture lemon tree going. but need room for apple, pear and other types of fruit trees as well as a place to grow berries. My back yard is only so big so can't have what we will really need. We have Coast guard and military bases all around here. So not sure being in the middle of all that would be a good idea to stay in a post SHTF situation. Not to mention the industrial areas about 25 minutes from us.